Breakthrough Alliance on Technology and Media

Building an alliance to combat climate crises and create opportunities for all

The Breakthrough Alliance leverages the power of tech, media and markets for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) acceleration, building an alliance to combat climate crises and create opportunities for all.

Breakthrough Alliance of the Joint Sustainable Development Goals Fund builds capacity for the SDGs'. Under the auspices of the Joint Sustainable Development Goals Fund builds capacity for the SDGs. Connecting the global funder/investor community to bring power of tech innovation & impact investment to advance the SDGs.

Already supporting a global portfolio of investments valued at over $290 million through programmes in over 150 countries and territories, the Joint SDG Fund connects private capital to SDG-aligned programmes across the globe. Financing the SDGs requires raising new types of capital and collaborating among new partners, most notably in the worlds of tech and media. This event will broadcast a long overdue message – we need to retell the story of development in today’s world: the SDGs belong to all of us and together – nothing is impossible.

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THREE CORE PILLARS

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Accelerating and driving awareness of SDGs in America and globally.
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Fashioning a nexus of regional investors and policy makers from SV and Hollywood to bring power of tech/media/policy innovation & investment to advance the SDGs.
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Connecting the global community to bring power of tech innovation & impact investment to advance the SDGs.
Breakthrough Alliance: Driving Sustainable Futures

The United Nations Joint SDG Fund, Stanford Angels & Entrepreneurs, Stanford Angels & Entrepreneurs of Southern California and Stanford Alumni for Sustainability hosted a side event at the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly. The discussion took place under the theme: ‘Driving Sustainable Futures: Exploring the Synergies of Digital Transformation and Decarbonization’ on 22 September 2023. Learn more.
 

Breakthrough Alliance Launch event

At the margins of the United Nations General Assembly, the Joint SDG Fund, Stanford Angels & Entrepreneurs and Stanford A&E SoCal showcased a new alliance of the United Nations development system with the private sector. Learn more.

Speakers

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Mr. Nadir Godrej

Managing Director Godrej Industries, Chairman Godrej Agrovet

Chairman and Managing Director of  Godrej Industries Ltd. and Chairman of Godrej Agrovet Ltd.  He is also the Co-Chair of Godrej Good & Green Governing Council. He holds a Master of Science degree in chemical engineering from Stanford University and an MBA from Harvard Business School. He has been a Director of several Godrej companies since 1977 and has developed the animal feed, agricultural inputs and chemicals businesses of Godrej Industries and other associate companies, and has been very active in research.

Deeply committed to the GOOD and GREEN strategies and achievement of set targets for the Godrej Group, he encourages and supports a shared vision value for all programs of Good and Green. Mr. Godrej has been awarded the Chevalier de Legion d'Honneur. Also Life Time Achievement Awards and recently, the Board of Management of Manav Rachna University has unanimously conferred Mr. Godrej with an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Philosophy.

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Mr. Stephen Jackson

UN Resident Coordinator in Kenya

Mr. Jackson brings close to 30 years of experience in international development, peacebuilding and humanitarian affairs to the position, including more than 10 years in Sub-Saharan Africa. At the United Nations, he most recently served as Resident Coordinator in Gabon, after holding leadership positions at the Department of Political Affairs (DPA) and with United Nations Peacekeeping. In DPA, he served as Chief of Policy Planning and Guidance, headed the Secretariat to the High-Level Review of United Nations Peacebuilding in 2015, worked as Team Leader of the Mediation Support Unit, was Chief of Staff of the United Nations Office in Burundi (BNUB), led the Policy Planning Unit as well as the Africa Great Lakes Team, and worked as Special Adviser to the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for the Great Lakes. With Peacekeeping, he served as a Senior Political Adviser with the United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC).

Prior to joining the Organization, Mr. Jackson was the Deputy Director of the Conflict Prevention and Peace Forum (CPPF) at the Social Science Research Council (SSRC) in New York and served as the Director of the International Famine Centre and a Lecturer in Sociology at the National University of Ireland in Cork after working in humanitarian relief and development in Angola, Rwanda and Somalia.

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Dr. Rajesh Gopakumar

Eminent Scientist, Director of the International Centre for Theoretical Sciences

Rajesh is a theoretical physicist and the director of the International Centre for Theoretical Sciences (ICTS-TIFR) in Bangalore, India. He was previously a professor at Harish-Chandra Research Institute (HRI) in Prayagraj, India and is known for his work on topological string theory.

Ben Allen

Mr. Ben Allen

California Senator, Chair of the Senate Environmental Quality Committee and Co-chair of the Environmental Caucus

California Senator Ben Allen serves as Chair of the Senate Environmental Quality Committee with jurisdiction over bills relating to air and water quality, climate change, waste management, pesticides, and hazardous materials. He is also Co-Chair of the Legislature’s Environmental Caucus.

As a leader in environmental protection efforts, Senator Allen has passed ambitious policies that address many facets of the global climate crisis. This year, his legislative agenda culminated with the passage of the Plastic Pollution Prevention and Packaging Producer Responsibility Act, the nation’s most comprehensive measure in addressing the plastic waste crisis.

Senator Allen has also worked to bolster California’s climate resiliency by proposing a measure to invest in preparation for extreme weather and other climate-related events like wildfires, floods, and mudslides. A member of the California Ocean Protection Council and the California State Coastal Conservancy, he has successfully passed legislation banning companies from suggesting recyclability unless their products are truly recyclable. He has also led the effort to phase out a dangerous carcinogen in firefighting foam and equipment, crafted strict regulations on a type of mining that was polluting California rivers, and brokered a compromise to phase out destructive trawling gear.

Senator Allen has a Bachelor’s degree in History from Harvard University, a Master’s degree in Latin American Studies from the University of Cambridge, and a Juris Doctor degree from UC Berkeley. He also serves as a Senior Fellow with the international human rights organization Humanity in Action, an Aspen Institute-Rodel Fellow, and a Truman National Security Project Fellow. He and his wife Melanie, an attorney, have a little son, Ezra.

josh becker

Mr. Josh Becker

California Senator and Stanford Alum and former Social Impact Investor and Entrepreneur

Senator Josh Becker is a public policy innovator working at the nexus of community activism, technology and social justice. Elected to the State Senate in November 2020, Senator Becker represents the residents of California’s 13th Senate District, which comprises most of San Mateo County and the northern part of Santa Clara County.

He is the author of several bills focused on accelerating California’s transition to 100% clean energy and net zero emissions, voter access and justice reforms, and leveraging technology to provide greater economic mobility for all Californians.

John Laird California State Senator for District 17

John Laird

California State Senator for District 17 and Chair of the Senate Climate Working Group

John Laird represents the 17th State Senate District, which includes all of Santa Cruz and San Luis Obispo counties, the majority of Monterey County, as well as parts of Santa Clara County. He previously served as the Secretary of the California Natural Resources Agency, member of the State Integrated Waste Management Board, a member of the State Assembly, Executive Director of the Santa Cruz Aids Project, and two terms as Santa Cruz Mayor. His lifetime of public service and social justice advocacy saw him become one of the first openly gay mayors to serve in the United States. Senator Laird has been a long-time resident of Santa Cruz with his spouse John Flores.

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Ms. Kirk Anne Taylor

Executive Director of Climate Action Pathways for Schools and Environmental Literacy Leader and Advocate

Ms. Taylor is the Executive Director for Climate Action Pathways for Schools (CAPS), a California-based nonprofit organization that partners with schools to provide inspiring climate education programs and implement projects to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while saving money for school districts. Prior to joining CAPS, she served as Director of Community Engagement for Ten Strands where she oversaw advocacy, communications, strategic planning, and supported the California Environmental Literacy Initiative — a public-private partnership that is advancing environmental literacy for California’s 6.2 million public school students. While at Ten Strands, she led an advocacy campaign to raise $6M (via CA education trailer bill AB 130, 2021) to develop California’s first state-funded climate and environmental justice K–12 curriculum. With the passage of this bill, California became the first state in the country to use public funding to develop a free standards-aligned climate and environmental justice curriculum.

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Mr. Terry Tamminen

CEO of AltaSea, President of 7th Generation Advisors and Former Secretary California Environmental Protection Agency

Terry is an author, lecturer, and strategist on energy and the environment. In 2003, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger appointed him as Secretary of the California Environmental Protection Agency. In December 2004, he was appointed Cabinet Secretary, the Chief Policy Advisor to the Governor. He continues to advise the former governor, and other regional, national, and international leaders, on energy and environmental policy.

Anuhea Parker, Stanford Student with Sustainability focus

Ms. Anuhea Parker

Stanford Student, Sustainability Focused

Anuhea Parker is a recent graduate of Stanford University in Management Science and Engineering, returning this year to complete her M.S. in Sustainability Science and Practice. This past summer, she worked at an energy efficiency startup based in California. She is passionate about the intersection of indigeneity and contemporary sustainability goals. 

Jesika Gonzalez

Jesika Gonzalez

Senior at Monache High School in Porterville California and Environmental Science Academy

Jesika Gonzalez is a senior at Monache High School in Porterville California and is a part of their Environmental Science Academy. She is a student intern with Climate Action Pathways for Schools and is currently working on a plan for sustainable forms of transportation for her school community. She hopes to work on researching Porterville Desert Milkweed plants this summer. She is passionate about helping and learning about the environment.

Radhika

Ms. Radhika Shah

Co-President Stanford Angels and Entrepreneurs

Radhika is an angel/impact tech investor, passionate about civic engagement, community building & transformative social change. She is Co-President of Stanford Angels & Entrepreneurs (a Community of 2000 Stanford alumni, students & faculty come together to advance Tech Innovation & Entrepreneurship), a Fellow and Founding Chair of the Tech Advisory Group at The Stanford Center for Human Rights & International Justice and a Sr. Advisor to The Global Center for Gender Equality at Stanford University.

She is an advisor to the global Sustainable Development Goals Philanthropy Platform (a UNDP / WINGS Collaboration), Board Member at Center for Effective Global Action, U.C. Berkeley (bringing together mission driven academics across US west Coast Universities to work with Governments, NGOs around world for evidence-based research/action to reduce poverty), Advisor to Impact Experience,  Illumen Capital a Fund-of-Impact-Funds reducing Implicit Biases, to Benetech (Empowering Communities with Software-for-Social-Good), and TechAdvisor to The Business and Human Rights Resource Center (BHRRC). Radhika holds a MSCS from Stanford and a U.C. Berkeley MBA.

Keith Coleman

Mr. Keith Coleman

Distinguished Visiting Scholar Emeritus mediaX at Stanford University and Co-Founder of Stanford Angels & Entrepreneurs Southern California

Keith is a researcher, investor, and startup adviser, focused on social impact and collective well-being. A Distinguished Visiting Scholar Emeritus with mediaX at Stanford University, an interdisciplinary thought leadership and industry affiliate program. Keith is member of Stanford Angels and Entrepreneurs and also Co-founder of Stanford Angels & Entrepreneurs of Southern California, mentor/coach for entrepreneurs via Stanford Venture Studio.

His service focuses on intercultural equity and excellence in climate action, education reform, public health innovation, and social finance. Keith is a board member of Climate Action Pathways for Schools (providing inspiring climate STEM-based education programs and actionable projects to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while saving money for school districts). Keith assists Rutgers Law School / Center on Law, Inequality, and Metropolitan Equity (CLiME) in its public health innovation initiative: “Colored by Covid” (supporting public health innovation to mitigate disparities in care for underrepresented patients through funding research and healthcare startups). A Limited Partner in JumpstartNova, (elements of Keith’s social finance work examine equity and social impact issues of investment management and health, centering the context and knowledge of people of color). Keith serves on the Executive Council of the Advanced Manufacturing Partnership of Southern California (providing aerospace manufacturers and their supply chain with tools, talent, and capacity to master the future while supporting ESG & SDG values). He is a signatory to the Racial Justice Investing coalition (building equitable institutions with socially principled investors, evaluating the role of wealth and capital in persisting injustice through an SDG lens). Keith has a bachelor’s degree from Stanford University, Stanford-in-Oxford/Magdalen College, his master’s from the University of Pennsylvania, and is an Associate Member of the Meharry National Alumni Association.

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Ms. Lisa Kurbiel

Head of the Secretariat of the UN Joint SDG Fund

As Head of the Joint SDG Fund, Lisa Kurbiel promotes partnerships with Governments, UN entities, civil society, academia and the private sector to design and implement integrated policy approaches and financing vehicles to accelerate progress towards the SDGs. She previously served as UNICEF Chief of Advocacy and Partnerships in Kenya and UNICEF Social Policy Specialist in Somalia and Mozambique.

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Main Contacts
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Ms. Lisa Kurbiel
Head of the UN Joint SDG Fund Secretariat
Ms-Radhika-Shah
Ms. Radhika Shah
Co-President Stanford Angels and Entrepreneurs
Mr. Keith Coleman
Mr. Keith Coleman
Distinguished Visiting Scholar Emeritus mediaX at Stanford University and Co-Founder of Stanford Angels & Entrepreneurs Southern California